Phenyl Backbone-Derived P,O- and P,N-Ligands for Palladium/Ligand-Catalyzed Aminations of Aryl Bromides, Iodides, and Chlorides. Syntheses and Structures of (P,O)n-Palladium(II)Aryl(Br) Complexes

Mapping the Binding Modes of Hemilabile Pincer-Crown Ether Ligands in Solution Using Diamagnetic Anisotropic Effects on NMR Chemical Shift

A protocol for identifying ligand binding modes in a series of iridium pincer complexes bearing hemilabile aza-crown ether ligands has been developed using readily accessible NMR methods. The approach was tested on a collection of 13 structurally diverse pincer-crown ether complexes that include several newly characterized species. New synthetic routes enable facile interconversion of coordination modes and supporting ligands. Detailed structural assignments of five complexes reveal that the difference in chemical shift (Δδ) between geminal protons in the crown ether is influenced by diamagnetic anisotropy arising from halides and other ligands in the primary coordination sphere. The average difference in chemical shift between diastereotopic geminal protons in the crown ether macrocycle (Δδ_avg), as determined through a single ¹H-¹³C HSQC experiment, provides information on the pincer ligand binding mode by establishing whether the macrocycle is in close proximity to the metal center. The Δδ_avg values for binding modes that involve chelating ether(s) bound to iridium are roughly 2-fold larger than those for tridentate complexes with no Ir-O bonds.

Controlling ligand binding for tunable and switchable catalysis: cation-modulated hemilability in pincer-crown ether ligands

The development of cation-responsive “pincer-crown ether” complexes featuring tunable hemilability is reviewed in the context of switchable and tunable catalysis.

Palladium-catalyzed amidation of aryl halides using 2-dialkylphosphino-2'-alkoxyl-1,1'-binaphthyl as ligands

Palladium-catalyzed intermolecular C-N bond-forming reactions between aryl halides and amides are described using 2-dialkylphosphino-2'-alkoxyl-1,1'-binaphthyl, which is both bulky and electron-rich, as the ligand. A variety of amides, including aliphatic and aromatic primary amides, lactams, and carbamates, were viable substrates for the amidation, which exhibited good functional group compatibility. By tuning the substituents at the 2,2'-position of 1,1'-binaphthyl of the ligand, the palladium-catalyzed amidation of bulky aryl halides was realized and this coupling reaction was used to synthesize 2-amino-2'-methoxy-1,1'-binaphthyl in high yield.

Biaryl phosphane ligands in palladium-catalyzed amination

Palladium-catalyzed amination reactions of aryl halides have undergone rapid development in the last 12 years, largely driven by the implementation of new classes of ligands. Biaryl phosphanes have proven to provide especially active catalysts in this context. This Review discusses the application of these catalysts in C-N cross-coupling reactions in the synthesis of heterocycles and pharmaceuticals, in materials science, and in natural product synthesis.

Metal unsaturation and ligand hemilability in Suzuki coupling

The combinative and complementary use of a hemilabile difunctional ligand on a metal, notably palladium, that is coordinatively and electronically unsaturated has led to the isolation of a string of unexpected low-valent complexes that are structurally intriguing. The ligands of interest are primarily ferrocenes functionalized by [P,N] and [P,O] donors. The characterization of these active Suzuki catalysts, which support sp(2)-sp(2) couplings, give valuable insights into the key Suzuki intermediates such as those arising from the reductive elimination, transmetallation, and oxidative addition steps. In this Account, we shall review and discuss our recent results in relation to selected developments in other laboratories.

Synthesis of bulky and electron-rich MOP-type ligands and their applications in palladium-catalyzed C-N bond formation

A series of 2-dialkylphosphino-2'-alkoxy-1,1'-binaphthyl ligands (6a-c and 8a-c) have been prepared conveniently by a lithium-initiated ring-opening reaction of dinaphthofuran, followed by selective phosphorylation. These compounds displayed a remarkable air and moisture stability, both in solid form and in solution. Application of these phosphine ligands in palladium-catalyzed C-N bond forming reactions revealed the crucial roles of the steric bulk of the substituents on the phosphorus atom governing the catalytic activity. Specifically, 2-di-tert-butylphosphino-2'-isopropoxy-1,1'-binaphthyl (8b) proved to be the most effective for the aminations of aryl halides with primary amines, while the less bulky 2-dicyclohexyl-2'-methoxy-1,1'-binaphthyl (6a) was more effective for the aminations with secondary amines. The steric and electronic effects of the ligands were analyzed to account for these observations.

Easily Accessible Benzamide-Derived P,O Ligands (Bphos) for Palladium-Catalyzed Carbon–Nitrogen Bond-Forming Reactions

Easily accessible benzamide-derived hemilabile phosphine ligands were efficiently prepared through ortho-directed lithiation of the corresponding N,N-diethylbenzamide followed by quenching with chlorodialkylphosphines. These structurally simple hemilabile ligands were found to be highly effective in palladium-catalyzed amination of aryl and heteroaryl chlorides. Various sterically congested and functionalized aryl halide substrates were compatible in these reaction conditions. By using optimized reaction conditions, remarkable catalyst productivity (total turnover number up to 8400) was obtained.

Structure and reactivity of new phosphine ligands containing the hemi-labile sulfone moiety

New heterofunctional phosphine ligands have been synthesised, incorporating the substitutionally labile sulfone and sulfonamide moieties as chelating groups, which display activity in the palladium-catalysed Suzuki and amination cross-coupling reactions. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of the complexes formed with [Pd(mu-Cl)(dmba)] (dmba-H = N,N-dimethylbenzylamine) highlight the coordinating nature of these ligands; showing the formation of a bis chelate complex through a six-membered Pd-P-C-C-S-O ring with the sulfonamide class of ligands.

Scope and Limitations of Pd2(dba)3/P(i-BuNCH2CH2)3N-Catalyzed Buchwald−Hartwig Amination Reactions of Aryl Chlorides

Proazaphosphatrane ligands in combination with Pd(2)(dba)(3) generate highly active catalysts for Buchwald-Hartwig amination of aryl chlorides. In particular, commercially available P(i-BuNCH(2)CH(2))(3)N is a highly general and efficient ligand, allowing the coupling of an electronically diverse set of aryl chlorides, including chloropyridines, with a wide variety of amines using 1 mol % of Pd at 100 degrees C. Either a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of ligand to Pd was found to be effective. This catalyst system performs exceptionally well for sterically hindered substrates, even with only 0.25 mol % of Pd. It is shown that NaOH can also be used as the base (instead of NaO-t-Bu) allowing functionalized substrates to participate in these reactions.

Enolphosphato−Phosphines: A New Class of P,O Ligands

The new bifunctional ligands Ph(2)PCH[double bond]CPh[OP(O)(OR)(2)] (1) (1a, R = Et; 1b, R = Ph) represent the first examples of P,O derivatives resulting from the association of a phosphine moiety and an enolphosphate group. The Z stereochemistry about the double bond provides a favorable situation for these ligands to act as P,O-chelates. Neutral and cationic Pd(II) complexes have been synthesized and characterized, in which 1a or 1b acts either as a P-monodentate ligand or a P,O-chelate, via coordination of the oxygen atom of the P[double bond]O group. In the latter case, it has been observed that phosphines 1a and 1b can display a hemilabile behavior, owing to successive dissociation and recoordination of the O atom. Competition experiments revealed that phosphine 1a presents a higher chelating ability than 1b, a feature ascribed to the more electrodonating properties of the ethoxy groups in 1a compared to the phenoxy groups in 1b. P,O-Chelation affords seven-membered metallocycles, which is unusual for P,O-chelates. Complexes trans-[PdCl(2)[Ph(2)PCH[double bond]C(Ph)OP(O)(OPh)(2)](2)] (2b), [PdCl[Ph(2)PCHdouble bond]C(Ph)OP(O)(OEt)(2)](mu-Cl)](2) (3a), [complex--see text] (8a'), and [complex--see text] (10a) have been structurally characterized. Interestingly, the seven-membered rings in 8a' and 10a adopt a sofa conformation with the double bond lying almost perpendicular to the plane containing the Pd, the two P, and the two O atoms.

P(i-BuNCH2CH2)3N: an effective ligand in the palladium-catalyzed amination of aryl bromides and iodides

It is shown that the bicyclic triaminophosphine P(i-BuNCH2CH2)3N serves as an effective ligand for the palladium-catalyzed amination of a wide array of aryl bromides and iodides. Other bicyclic or acyclic triaminophosphines, even those of similar basicity and/or bulk, were inferior.

Iridium complex-catalyzed allylic amination of allylic esters

Iridium complex-catalyzed allylic amination of allylic carbonates was studied. The solvent strongly affected the catalytic activity. The use of a polar solvent such as EtOH is essential for obtaining the products in high yield. The reaction of (E)-3-substituted-2-propenyl carbonate and 1-substituted-2-propenyl carbonate with pyrrolidine in the presence of a catalytic amount of [Ir(COD)Cl](2) and P(OPh)(3) (P/Ir = 2) gave a branch amine with up to 99% selectivity. Both secondary and primary amines could be used for this reaction. When a primary amine was used, selective monoallylation occurred. No diallylation product was obtained. The reaction of 1,1-disubstituted-2-propenyl acetate with amines exclusively gave an alpha,alpha-disubstituted allylic amine. This reaction provides an alternative route to the addition of an organometallic reagent to ketimines for the preparation of such amines. The reaction of (Z)-3-substituted-2-propenyl carbonate with amines gave (Z)-linear amines with up to 100% selectivity. In all cases, no (E)-linear amine was obtained. The selectivities described here have not been achieved in similar palladium complex-catalyzed reactions.

Catalyzed Asymmetric Arylation Reactions

Addition and substitution reactions with carbon nucleophiles are fundamental processes in organic synthesis, and the development of general catalytic asymmetric variants thereof is still a major challenge today. In contrast to enantioselective alkyl transfer reactions, the corresponding arylations have not yet reached a high level of maturity. The existing protocols are either of no general applicability or are limited in terms of selectivity. This article summarizes established routes for catalytic asymmetric aryl transfer together with the latest developments in this area. The scope and limitations of this reaction are discussed.